Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Introduction

This guide details the installation process for Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Edition appliances. It covers various components such as the Manager, Data Store, Flow Collector, Flow Sensor, and UDP Director.

The intended audience includes network administrators and IT professionals responsible for deploying and configuring Secure Network Analytics products. Familiarity with VMware or KVM is assumed for virtual appliance installations.

For hardware appliance installations, refer to the respective Cisco hardware appliance installation guides. For system configuration after installation, consult the Secure Network Analytics System Configuration Guide v7.4.2.

For additional information, explore the following resources:

• Cisco Secure Network Analytics Overview
• Data Store Design Guide

Key Concepts

Appliance: Refers to any Secure Network Analytics product, including virtual editions like the Flow Sensor Virtual Edition (VE).

Cluster: A group of Secure Network Analytics appliances managed by the Manager.

Secure Network Analytics without Data Store: In this deployment, Flow Collectors ingest, deduplicate, analyze, and report data directly to the Manager. The Manager queries all managed Flow Collectors for query resolution.

Secure Network Analytics with Data Store: A Data Store cluster sits between the Manager and Flow Collectors. Flow Collectors send data to the Data Store, which distributes it among Data Nodes for centralized storage and analysis, offering improved fault tolerance and query performance.

Installation Overview

The installation process involves several key steps:

1. Downloading the necessary virtual edition installation files from Cisco Software Central.
2. Installing the virtual appliance using VMware vCenter (ISO) or ESXi Stand-Alone Server (ISO), or on a KVM host (ISO).
3. Configuring network settings, including firewalls and virtual switches.
4. Configuring the Secure Network Analytics system.

Specific sections in this guide provide detailed instructions for each installation method and configuration step.